A depository is a financial institution that holds and maintains securities (such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds) in electronic form on behalf of investors. It facilitates the trading, settlement, and safekeeping of these securities, eliminating the need for physical certificates. In many countries, depositories play a vital role in the smooth functioning of financial markets by ensuring secure and efficient transactions.

A Basic Services Demat Account (BSDA) is a simplified demat account designed for small investors. It offers reduced maintenance charges and is ideal for those holding a small number of securities. While there's no minimum balance requirement, BSDA accounts have limitations on the total value of holdings. It's a cost-effective option for beginners or investors with limited holdings.

When investing directly in shares, you must shop around for a demat account. It helps to shortlist accounts that have the lowest brokerage charges. You could look for brokerages that offer discounts as well. Start trading with Kotak Securities, which has one of the lowest brokerage charges in India.

As you can have different bank accounts, you can also have more than one Demat account in India. You just link your PAN with each Demat account; there is no limit to the number of Demat accounts you can link to a PAN. However, there are certain conditions you must follow if you want to have more than one Demat account.

Understand its meaning, functions, and importance in securing your transactions. Learn how TPIN enhances the safety of your holdings and empowers you with greater control over your investments. Safeguard your Demat account with TPIN and trade with peace of mind.

Account Maintenance Charges in a demat account are fees for keeping your securities safe in electronic form, varying by the type of account and the depository participant.

Dematerialization is the process by which physical share certificates held by an investor are converted into an equivalent number of securities in electronic form and credited into the investor’s account.

Bonus shares in essence increases the number of outstanding shares and reduces the share price, but does not change the overall value of the investor's holdings. Read the article to learn more about bonus shares.